History of the American Lake Veterans Golf Course and the Friends of American Lake Golf Course:
The American Lake Veterans Golf Course serves veterans and active duty service men and women. Many of those we serve at the course have permanent disabilities from their service in places like Korea and Vietnam, and now Afghanistan and Iraq. Our service men and women who have been injured during service to our country deserve this resource – an enjoyable course for their rehabilitation, treatment and recreational use. The course is used by veterans and military personnel living locally, and by patients of the American Lake Veterans Hospital, Seattle Veterans Hospital, Madigan Army Hospital and the Washington Soldier’s Home and Colony in Orting. Since 2004 participation has increased from about 4000 per year to close to 5000 per year.
The Veterans Hospital at American Lake in Lakewood, Washington was approved in 1926 and the first building was dedicated in 1929. The Golf Course was added shortly after World War II and was dedicated to providing golf to veterans with disabilities as part of their rehabilitation and treatment program. Unfortunately, the golf course was not built to serve people with disabilities. They could come to clinics and take lessons, but they could not play the course unless they could walk it. Then in 1995 the U.S. Government eliminated funding of operations and maintenance for all VA golf courses.
In order to keep the golf course open, an agreement was reached with the VA Puget Sound Health Care system at American Lake to allow volunteers to run and maintain the golf course. From 1995 to the present the American Lake Golf Course has been managed and maintained by volunteers with no government financial assistance. Over the past thirty years the golf course had slowly fallen into disrepair, and it became difficult for the volunteers to sustain a quality environment that allowed those with disabilities to play golf. This situation inspired a group of concerned citizens to form the 501 (C) (3) Non-Profit Corporation, the Friends of American Lake Veterans Golf Course in 2004 to assist the course volunteers with improvement, care and maintenance of the American Lake Golf Course.
Many improvements have been made at the course since the Friends became involved. We and the course volunteers have made improvements to the driving range, the overall course, fairways, and cart paths to make it more accessible to those with disabilities, adding a short 3 hole course that is accessible for those in wheel chairs who are learning the game, adding special golf carts for amputees, and providing First Swing Clinics co-sponsored by the National Amputee Golf Association. Participation at the course has steadily increased; last year over 19,000 rounds of golf were played; as of March 2007 almost 21,000 rounds had been played.
As of December 2006 The Friends and volunteers at the Golf Course have acquired funding that allowed us to make more than $ 470,000.00 in improvements and purchases of equipment. There is still much more to do. Many areas of the course are still not accessible to those with mobility issues, and we do not have accessible restroom facilities.
